List of East Carolina Pirates football seasons

This is a list of football seasons completed by the East Carolina Pirates since the team's creation in 1932 under Coach Kenneth Beatty. Since that first season, the Pirates have played over 800 regular-season games and 22 bowl games.

Historically, East Carolina has seen moderate success. While East Carolina's first ten years of football included only three winning seasons, the team has recorded one undefeated season and a share of the Small College National Championship in 1941, along with several one-loss seasons since their early struggles. Football was called off for the 1942, 1943, and 1944 seasons due to World War II. After the three-season hiatus, the Pirates joined the North State Conference. East Carolina won its first championship—the North State Conference championship—in 1953. In its 15 years as a member of the North State Conference, the Pirates won two championships and went to two bowl games. In 1962, the team left the conference and returned to its previous status as a football independent. During two of those years, the Pirates went 9–1.

In 1965, the Pirates accepted membership in the Southern Conference. The team won the Southern Conference championship under coach Clarence Stasavich in the following year, but did not win another conference championship until 1972. The 1972 team was coached by Sonny Randle, who won the Southern Conference championship in his second year as head coach. In 1973, he again coached a conference-championship team—the only time in school history the team won two conference championships in a row. Randle left to take a position as head football coach of Virginia in 1974 and was replaced by Pat Dye. Dye, in his third year, won the Pirates' fourth Southern Conference championship. In 1977, ECU left the Southern Conference and had three more winning seasons as a football independent. In 1980, under new head coach Ed Emory, the Pirates had their first losing season since 1971. The team struggled over the next two years. In 1983, Emory's Pirates ended the season ranked as one of the top 25 teams in the country by the Associated Press.

The next seven seasons included just one winning season—1989. The Pirates gradually rebuilt the program, and the 1991 team, coached by Bill Lewis, went 11–1, losing only to Illinois in the season opener. The team capped off the season with an in-state win over North Carolina State in the Peach Bowl. Following the win, the Pirates entered the offseason ranked ninth in both the AP and Coaches Poll. Thanks to his performance during the year, Lewis was awarded the American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year award. The season marked the only time the Pirates finished the season ranked in the top 10. In 1995, ECU won the Liberty Bowl over Stanford and finished 23rd in the Coaches' Poll. The Pirates joined Conference USA (C-USA) in 1997, ending their status as football independents for the first time since 1976. Since joining the C-USA, the Pirates have had nine winning seasons, seven losing seasons, and one 6–6 year. In 2014, the Pirates joined the American Athletic Conference as full members.

Seasons Conference championsBowl game berthThe blue color is used only when East Carolina reaches a bowl but does not hold a share in the conference title. In any case that East Carolina has a share of the conference championship, the gold color is used. SeasonConferenceSeason resultsBowl resultFinal rankingConference finishWinsLossesTiesOvertime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible.AP PollThe AP Poll was introduced in 1934. Thus, there are no polls for previous seasons.Coaches PollThe Coaches Poll was introduced in 1950. Therefore, polls for prior seasons do not exist.East Carolina Pirates football seasons1932Independent—050—N/AN/A1933Independent—150—N/AN/A1934Independent—141—N/AN/A1935Independent—330—N/AN/A1936Independent—320——N/A1937Independent—250——N/A1938Independent—161——N/A1939Independent—080——N/A1940Independent—530——N/A1941Independent—700——N/A1942East Carolina did not play football during the 1942–1945 seasons because of World War II1943194419451946Independent—531——N/A1947North State Conference—360——N/A1948North State Conference—090——N/A1949North State Conference—451——N/A1950North State Conference—730———1951North State Conference—460———1952North State Conference—632Lost Lions Bowl vs. Clarion 13–6——1953North State Conference—820Lost Elks Bowl vs. Morris Harvey 12–0——1954North State Conference—541———1955North State Conference—450———1956North State Conference—271———1957North State Conference—180———1958North State Conference—640———1959North State Conference—560———1960North State Conference—730———1961Carolinas ConferenceNorth State Conference became the Carolinas Conference in 1961.—541———1962Independent—540———1963Independent—910Won Eastern Bowl vs. Northeastern 27–6——1964Independent—910Won Tangerine Bowl vs. Massachusetts 14–13——1965Southern Conference3910Won Tangerine Bowl vs. Maine 31–0——1966Southern Conference1451———1967Southern Conference2820———1968Southern Conference3460———1969Southern Conference5270———1970Southern Conference4380———1971Southern Conference4460———1972Southern Conference1920———1973Southern Conference1920———1974Southern Conference3740———1975Southern Conference2830———1976Southern Conference1920———1977Independent—830———1978Independent—930Won Independence Bowl vs. Louisiana Tech 35–13——1979Independent—731———1980Independent—470———1981Independent—560———1982Independent—740———1983Independent—830—20—1984Independent—290———1985Independent—290———1986Independent—380———1987Independent—560———1988Independent—380———1989Independent—650———1990Independent—560———1991Independent—1110Won Peach Bowl vs. NC State 37–34991992Independent—560———1993Independent—290———1994Independent—750Lost Liberty Bowl vs. Illinois 30–0——1995Independent—930Won Liberty Bowl vs. Stanford 19–13—231996Independent—83———1997Conference USA356———1998Conference USA465———1999Conference USA293Lost Mobile Alabama Bowl vs. Texas Christian 28–14——2000Conference USA384Won Galleryfurniture.com Bowl vs. Texas Tech 40–27——2001Conference USA366Lost GMAC Bowl vs. Marshall 64–61——2002Conference USA748———2003Conference USA10111———2004Conference USA1029———2005Conference USA East456———2006Conference USA East276Lost PapaJohns.com Bowl vs. South Florida 24–7——2007Conference USA East285Won Hawai'i Bowl vs. Boise State 41–38——2008Conference USA East195Won C-USA Championship vs. Tulsa 27–24 Lost Liberty Bowl vs Kentucky 19–25——2009Conference USA East195Won C-USA Championship vs. Houston 38–32 Lost Liberty Bowl vs Arkansas 17–20——2010Conference USA East267Lost Military Bowl vs Maryland 20–51——2011Conference USA East357———2012Conference USA East285Lost New Orleans Bowl vs Louisiana–Lafayette 49–34——2013Conference USA East2103Won Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl vs Ohio 37–20——2014American Athletic Conference485Lost Birmingham Bowl vs Florida 28–20——2015American Athletic Conference East557———2016American Athletic Conference East639———2017American Athletic Conference East439———2018American Athletic Conference East539———2019American Athletic Conference East548———2020American Athletic Conference936———2021American Athletic Conference475Cancelled Military Bowl vs. Boston College——2022American Athletic Conference685Won Birmingham Bowl vs Coastal Carolina 53–29——2023American Athletic Conference14210———2024American Athletic Conference585Won Military Bowl vs NC State 26–21——2025American Athletic Conference494Won Military Bowl vs Pittsburgh 23–17——Totals46844611(regular season games only)12110(bowl games only)48045711(all games)

References

General

Specific

External links ECUPirates.com – Official East Carolina Pirates football website